Upon return to the Derelict Ark and debriefing with Athen Ligrant the group was allowed a week of downtime to recover and prepare for their following contract. In this time, Dorian produced another batch of false IDs and meets a handful of new recruits, Shahana Zinvalur investigated the whereabouts of Mask, Neriphine, and the believed Avatar of Umberlee, and Mal Auvryani converts his room into a kitchen.   Zahiri Sapir spoke with Tomes the Changeling about a handful of curiosities, most notably, where her mothers might be. Tomes, somewhat bluntly, explained that Zahiri was left in an attempt to hide her from an ancient evil that relentlessly pursues its mark, a Rakshasa.   Charlie Anderson worked with Langly "Snaketail" to determine the capabilities of the serum found within the syringes used by the Claws of Xiroth. After some mistakes, some of the vials were identified as a rapidly mutating biological pathogen not necessarily magic in nature, though not natural either. Charlie leveraged his position to negotiate for wages for the Kobolds. Upon informing Athen Ligrant, she noted that, similar to the fogs used by the Claws of Xiroth, Kanker is shrouded in a perpetual mist, potentially making it a handy place to test on the public.   The group agreed to travel to Kanker but on the condition that they could have more time to prepare which was granted. They established alibis for their presence in Kanker. Charlie and Dorian would be Legion census workers while Shahana, Zahiri, and Mal would be travelling tea and herb sellers. They set out by Railroad to Brache and then traveled by foot to Kanker.   As they traveled along the worn piers deeper into the bog, a thick mist began to shroud much of the surroundings, drawing stark contrast to bright flickering balls of light that seemed to be following their path, lingering just out of range. The group made camp for the night on a wider section of the pier, planning to enter Kanker the following day, but all were tormented by horrible nightmares of shadowy figures looming in the mist murmuring phrases in Human. Only Dorian could understand that these forms were chanting the many things they lost in death, their souls still bound to the land for reasons unknown. Shahana built a shrine for the Raven Queen and Umberlee during her watch and discovered the coin she left for the Raven Queen had gone missing in the night.   On the next morning, the group continued to Kanker, wary again, of the flickering balls of light that trailed behind them, drawing closer and closer before a small group of them attacks the group, moments after they are slightly divided by a gap in the boardwalk. A greater specter ambushed Shahana in the chaos and possessed Charlie, turning his spells against the group. To stop this Mal ultimately knocked Charlie unconscious but he was unable to be stabilized before the lights sucked the life from his body and so Charlie passed away in the swamp near Kanker. The battle is hard fought but the specter was defeated, as well as some of the will-o-wisps.   Charlie watched from above, awaiting passage into the beyond but the Raven Queen, having kept a close eye on them ever since Rivenden, proposed an open-ended deal: Charlie would be returned alive, but he would owe her a favor in return. He agreed and his body was swarmed with ravens, frightening the group and the remaining undead and raising Charlie from the dead. Mal split from the group, guilty of what he had done. Zahiri tried to pursue them but he faded beyond her view. Dorian took Charlie back to their camping spot to reevaluate their path forward, will they continue to Kanker or return home? Ultimately they decide to wait for aid after contacting Athen Ligrant back at the Derelict Ark.   The Reclaimers resume their travel into Kanker the following day, seemingly protected by a large cluster of ravens. Kanker is shrouded in a heavy gloom and a weight seems to rest on everyone's shoulders. The largest structure in town is the central temple to the Raven Queen, surrounded by hooded figures waving smoky censers. Here they met Mindy Montegraw and Chad Bradly of Team Winners, who had been teleported to the area by Athen. The Reclaimers ask around and are ultimately pointed to the Gilberts's for lodging and information, meeting Sommer Gilbert behind the desk and renting a place in the hostel in the back.   The following day the Reclaimers and company split off to investigate the town for odd occurrences. Shahana and Zahiri spoke with the people and was pointed to the central temple of the Raven Queen who purified water and the office of Erral Quix, the lone doctor operating in Kanker. Dorian and Charlie, pretending to be from the Party of Goodwill, spoke with Parson Gilbert, the political and religious head of Kanker. They learned much about the history of Kanker, its medicinal exports, and the recent history of empire involvement. Parson strongly warns against ever venturing near the abandoned mansion just beyond the threshold of Kanker. He adds at the end that he would be running a sermon at the temple later and there may be those there who could also answer their questions. The Reclaimers rejoined by Erral Quix's medical practice to ask some questions but were unable to receive any answers without providing some assistance in gathering rare herbs needed to tend to his patients. He points the group to Obra Fink, an elderly Halfling gatherer who would be able to assist them in their search.   The group attend the sermon, greeted by Mourner Geraldine Pompii, a cheerful priest who assisted Parson in maintaining the temple. Parson gives a sermon on the responsibility of life and the philosophy of passing, that we must sacrifice before we can rise beyond this world. During this sermon however, Charlie used Detect Magic to investigate the temple discovering that: Geraldine was seemingly blessing water, the purified water was curiously free of corruption, but the air (particularly the mist) had a faint evocational effect throughout the temple and potentially throughout the entirety of Kanker.   The Reclaimers stay behind to speak with Geraldine who is happy to answer their questions and even show them the water purifier. She learned her bless ritual from old books within the temple, she doesn't put much stock in them but the flair really seems to help with morale. The purifier was a gift, built by an unknown Dwarf who visited briefly some months ago. The Reclaimers reconvened with the information they gathered in the hostel. There was a tense argument where Dorian and Mindy stated their intent to investigate the Old Mansion in the near future. Shahana recommended more information gathering first and eventually the group decided to assist Obra Fink in gathering plants for Erral.   The following day, the Reclaimers met with Obra who seemed to also be in the company of Mal. Obra claimed she found him wandering the swamp and helped him to Kanker safely. While gathering plants, the group had another encounter with invisible entities who only appeared in their reflections and mimicking the appearance of the group. It was a quick battle and the group made their way back to Erral with a healthy assortment of rare herbs, including the Deathly Nettle, a small flower which only grows near Kanker and can induce an almost comatose state on contact. Dorian attempted to establish under-the-counter support with the doctor to assist them but Erral rejected this and even threatened to report her to Parson. Shahana's group received payment for their assistance before departing.   Before Erral could report Dorian , Charlie, assumed the form of Parson and managed to convince Erral to at least consider the offer, or allow it to slide if it is safer. With their time opened, Dorian, Charlie, and Mindy cemented a plan to investigate the Old Mansion while Shahana, Mal, Zahiri, and Chad planned to commune with the Raven Queen and potentially convince Geraldine to accompany them to the Derelict Ark.   Shahana's group met with Geraldine and took some detailed sketches of the water purifier for Orwin Knuckle to enhance, reproduce, or repair. They took Geraldine out of Kanker when they heard ravens hardly ever venture into town lately and successfully communed with the Raven Queen's harbingers, much to Geraldine's delight. They asked if she'd like to accompany them but she refuses, stating there is more to be done in Kanker.   Dorian's group moved to the Old Mansion, placing Mindy on the outside as a lookout while Charlie and Dorian snuck inside. Within, they discovered the home was swarmed with tiny crude demonic creatures with the occasional typical worker. After pilfering outgoing mail and moving to the second floor, a massive creature, presumably the Lord in Waiting of the area moved up from the basement, effectively trapping them on the second floor.   Seeing the only way is up, they progressed deeper into the mansion. Dorian managed to pilfer a strange gem embedded into a dismantled Claws of Xiroth suit, vials of white dust, and documentation while Charlie talked his way into possessing an authentic wax seal of the Lord. After a narrow escape, they also saw from afar a sealed chamber where a number of people were being experimented on, the details of this were left unknown however.   They progressed further up to the 3rd floor, barred from escaping by the Lord in Waiting below. In one room they found a room focused entirely on a strange wooden rod, a corpse set at its base emaciated by an unknown force. Another room held Lora Potro, a Half-Elf woman trapped in an ongoing Pacifying Agent experiment. She assisted Charlie in determining the code for a sealed chamber on the third floor, with hopes that it would be a safe exit from the Mansion. Within, the pair managed to grab some documents, a vial of an unknown potion and ring, and a lantern before being attacked by undead entities seemingly trapped inside. Once nullified and fearing the noise may have alerted the mansion below, Dorian broke open a window and flew out with Charlie, flying a safe distance before continuing through the swamp back towards Brache. Shortly after their escape they were pursued by a tremendous creature within the swamp water, doing significant damage to the walking piers and idly waiting for any leaving town at the time.   When free, Charlie, instructed Mindy to head back to Kanker, gather the Reclaimers and leave town ASAP. She gathers their things and the group escape the way they came within the hour, speaking with a number of citizens to form an alibi. As they made their way, they found the walking piers destroyed and were forced into the water where the Lord waited. By chance, the group managed to sneak past the Lord and escape deeper into the swamp, just in time to hear them declare in old Demonoid tongues a blood vendetta against those who wronged them.   After a tense walk, the group managed to meet up with Dorian and Charlie who made a camp due to exhaustion. The following day, with fresher minds, the Reclaimers made their way back while reading through the letters stolen from the first level. One letter detailed correspondence between a Lord Zender and Lord Sylimar about some engineering feat the two are working on as well as notes on Lendosh who is seemingly capable of harassing ocean shipments. Another letter, addressed to Ridley Maganti, refers to an upcoming masquerade and mentions "Sir Quill the Ageless Hermit", who is seemingly the host. The final letter is addressed to Nikovan Jainstone regarding a shipment of Deathly Nettles for Xiroth the Marred.   Shaken by the last of the letters but excited they made it out of Kanker alive, the Reclaimers made their way back, hoping the intelligence gathered might further the cause of Lifewood Labor.

Contract

Deep in the Northwestern swamps of Euri'dor is the small town of Kanker. According to Tomes, the city holds a dark history at the hands of the Legion Marred and remains firmly within its grasp to this day. Tomes even suggested certain high ranking officials may be on site at this very moment. We want to uncover that history to use as potential ammunition against their position and protect Kanker from future mistreatment. A word of warning, if what Tomes says is true and high ranking officials are on site DO NOT under any circumstances directly engage them or else you run the risk of drawing their attention. If encountered, run.  

Objectives

• Investigate Kanker's dark history
• Gather information about but DO NOT INTERACT WITH the present official
• In the wake of Luciden, Kanker potentially holds information about the tools and biological agents used by the Claws of Xiroth. We'd like to gather that.

 

Rewards

• 1300 gp
• 300 gp per notable secret discovered